Welcome to Litsy!

A short but sweet exploration of the power of comedy via thousands-year-old dirty jokes. Along the way we get meditations on power, patriarchy, suppression, subversion, and the beef between Aristophanes (lauded ancient playwright known as the Father of Comedy) and Ariphrades (writer referenced in Aristotle‘s Poetics, but with no surviving works and now best remembered for his fondness for cunnilingus). Ancient theatre stays teaching us, folks.

I liked this one more than I didn't, but in taking aim at "boring" theatre, the author comes off as supercilious, as if his tastes, ideas, and aesthetics are superior to all else. I agree that we need more boldness in theatre, that there need to be new approaches to the development of new plays and the structures of arts institutions, that artists need more freedom to fail- but I also wish we could be more "Yes, and..." in our thinking. ???

I'm unbelievably excited to be seeing one of my all-time favorite actors, Paul Gross, in King Lear today at the Stratford Festival. I'd been saving his episodes on the Outrageous Fortune podcast for the drive up, and I'm so glad I did. Listening to him talk about the play, and the struggles and rewards of making art more generally, was the perfect teaser for the performance and made me unexpectedly emotional more than once. #SeeMoreTheatre

The author's personal narrative here is not always overly compelling, but the account of the work undertaken is phenomenal. Theatre of War makes an ancient tradition alive and present on military bases, in hospice centers, carceral institutions, homeless shelters, mental health facilities and more, doing exactly what theatre, at it's best, is meant to do- challenge, inspire, heal, create community, and bring us into dialogue and reflection.

This book features:
-An utterly despicable, spoiled man-child of a narrator
-Fragile masculinity and misogyny galore
-A 5-year-old child who says that "morning is healing" and describes the weather as "breathtaking"
-Not one female character who ever behaves like an actual human being instead of a pair of sentient breasts

But it also includes the passage outlined above and goddamn if my idealistic, theatre-loving heart didn't cry when I read it.

I'm a big believer in the power of applied theatre, and was very excited to discover each of these titles in small bookstores as I traveled earlier this year. It feels like they'd be good companion reads so I'm starting now with the tagged book. We'll see where it takes me! #SeeMoreTheatre #DoMoreTheatre #ActOut

I had the good luck to catch Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway in January, and it's hands-down my favorite new musical of the season. I spent last night watching the Tiny Desk Concert over and over and crying too hard at it. This cast! This composer! These songs! Shout out to understudy Miguel Gil killing it in this performance. Join me in obsessively watching:
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/19/1175215859/kimberly-akimbo-tiny-desk-concert
#SeeMoreTheatre

This week I pulled out the original recording of The Gospel at Colonus, one of my favorite pieces of theatre- a setting of "Oedipus at Colonus" as a modern parable within the frame of a Black Pentecostal church service. The music is incredible, and a gospel choir serves as our Greek chorus. It inspired me to re-visit the original, as well as Antigone- both still absolute bangers. And yes, that is a CD because the dream of the 90s is ALIVE, y'all!

I've been waiting two years to see this musical and I finally got to go today and THIS happened?!?!? The composer playing the lead, singing his own story, and entire company coming together to make sure the show still went on was one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced in the theatre. I am overwhelmed and grateful and gonna be re-living this for quite some time. #SeeMoreTheatre

Don't mind me, just weeping in spite of myself. Sondheim, you mad bastard; thank you. #SeeMoreTheatre